out
doubt that it was killed by the boats of one of their whalers. There
are a good many of them in these seas at present, and they are not the
fellows to abandon a fish they have once caught."

"Dat is what I was tinking," observed Nub. "I don't tink any Englishman
eber kill such a 'straordinary-looking fish as dis."

"I have seen a good many, but never one like it," said the mate.

"I only hope it good to eat; and de sooner me cut some blubber and cook
it, de better. Mr Shobbrok, you got tinder-box and flint and steel?"

"Yes," answered the mate, "I always carry them; though, as we cannot
light a fire on the raft, I have hitherto made no use of them. But how
do you propose lighting one on the top of the whale, Nub?"

"We get up some pieces of wood from de raft, and den, with de blubber,
we soon have one blazing fire," answered the black. Descending to the
raft, he took one of the pieces of plank and began to chop it up. "We
soon have some dinner for you, Missie Alice," he said while so employed.
"You stay quiet on de raft, and not fancy you going to starve any
more." Having performed his task, he secured the wood in a bundle, and
hoisting it on his back, he climbed up again.

During Nub's absence the mate and Walter looked anxiously around them,
in the possibility of any boats being in sight. None were to be seen;
but they observed several objects floating about, apparently pieces of
wreck, spars and casks,--and among them a sea-chest, which seemed of
large size, as it rose considerably above the surface.

"We must try and get hold of that," said the mate. "It may contain
articles of value to us, though I am afraid we are not likely to find
any food within it."

"I would rather have a cask of biscuits or flour, or beef or pork,"
observed Walter.

"I doubt whether we shall find such," said the mate, "for I observe that
the casks float high out of the water. But has it struck you, Walter,
what must have happened?"

"I was thinking that these things must have come out of our ship and
floated away here," answered Walter.

"They cannot have come so far by this time," said the mate. "I think
that I can unravel the mystery. This whale was attacked by the boats of
a ship, some of which were probably destroyed by the monster. It was
then towed alongside, when she was either capsized in a storm, or,
receiving damage from some other cause, she went down, and the articles
we now see floated up out of her